If you’ve ever swooned over the savory, flaky layers of spanakopita, this Spanakopita-inspired White Bean and Spinach Skillet could be worthy of a spot in your weeknight dinner rotation. Combining creamy white beans, rich olive oil, and vibrant spinach, this dish evokes the comfort-food vibes of spanakopita but with a whole lot more fiber and less saturated fat.
2(10-ounce) packages frozen spinach,defrosted and excess water squeezed out
1large onionchopped
4clovesgarlicminced
1poundfrozen phyllo dough,defrosted overnight in the refrigerator
Instructions
Get ready. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Mix the filling. In a large bowl, combine the white beans, hummus, 2 tablespoons olive oil, olive brine, nutritional yeast, dried dill, salt, and pepper. Mash the mixture with a potato masher until it’s a coarse blend of fully mashed and pieces of white beans. Add the spinach and stir to combine.
Sauté the onion. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet set over medium heat. Saute the onion until beginning to brown, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking until fragrant, about one minute more. Remove from heat. Add the filling to the skillet and stir to incorporate the onion and garlic.
Add the phyllo topping. Brush a sheet of phyllo dough with olive oil. Working over the skillet, scrunch up the phyllo sheet like you’re crumpling a piece of paper. Repeat with 5 to 7 more sheets of phyllo, until the skillet is covered with phyllo bunches.
Bake. Place the skillet in the oven and bake until the phyllo is golden brown and crisp, about 30 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes to allow the mixture to set before serving.
Notes
Shop this recipe: Visit our shopto browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil and green olive brine used in this recipe.
Make it gluten-free: Though it won’t have the same crisp texture, it’s possible to make a gluten-free version of this White Bean Spinach Skillet by using gluten-free puff pastry or a mashed potato topping instead.
To use different beans: No white beans? Use chickpeas for a similar creamy texture, or try mashed cooked lentils for an earthy flavor.
To use fresh greens: Replace the frozen spinach with fresh spinach, kale, Swiss chard, or a combination of cooking greens. Just blanch and squeeze out any excess water first. You’ll need to start with approximately 3 pounds of fresh greens for this recipe.